Archuleta County commissioners Bill Downey
and Alden Ecker made it the first order of business to take time to
welcome newly-seated, fellow commissioner Mamie Lynch at the onset of
Tuesday morning's regular board meeting.

Lynch, who is making a return visit to the
board after serving from 1989-1992, was sworn in by District Court
Judge Greg Lyman prior to the commencement of the weekly proceedings.
She is the new commissioner representing District 3 after defeating
former commissioner Gene Crabtree in last year's General Election.

As required by Colorado law, the new board
reorganized in the opening minutes of the session, and Ecker was
chosen to replace Downey as the new chairman. Lynch will serve as
vice chairman.

Following the board's reorganization, the
main topic of discussion was a proposed contractual agreement between
the county and the Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association
concerning animal control services.

In late December, the county hired a
full-time animal control officer to be supervised by the sheriff's
office and, originally, was expected to routinely patrol all areas of
the county.

That officer, Floyd Capistrant, is currently
undergoing training at the National Animal Control Association
Training Academy in Phoenix, Ariz.

According to Bill Steele, county
administrator, recent discussions between the county and the PLPOA
resulted in the conclusion that hiring a second officer to meet the
animal control needs of areas located exclusively within PLPOA
boundaries would be appropriate.

In short, the resulting contract indicates
the second animal control officer, also under supervision of the
sheriff's office, will be paid as a full-time county employee, with
the county being reimbursed by the PLPOA for various expenses
associated with the officer's performance.

However, each officer's responsibilities
will occasionally overlap. For example, if the county officer is busy
on a call within county boundaries, the PLPOA officer can be called
upon in the event of another call or emergency within the county -
and vice versa.

According to Steele and Mary Weiss, the
county attorney, the decision to make the second officer a county
employee results from the understanding that county regulations are
more stringent than those set forth by the PLPOA.

Therefore, county rules provide more freedom
with regard to the officers' job expectations (entering private
property, immediate animal impoundment, etc.). Steele also said the
sheriff's office can more appropriately supervise each officer,
especially since each will eventually be equipped with a
firearm.

According to Steele, Capt. Bob Grandchamp of
the sheriff's office and Walt Lukasik, general manager of the PLPOA,
will serve as liaisons between the parties and will be responsible
for ironing out any problems arising from the agreement.

Commissioner Lynch had no reservations
concerning the agreement. "I have no problem as long as the sheriff
agrees to be supervisor," said Lynch.

Steele echoed Lynch's sentiment, stating "I
am personally satisfied we can keep an eye on things and make this
work."

Due to the lack of opposition, Downey moved
to approve the agreement. Lynch seconded the motion, and it carried
unanimously.

As a result, the agreement became effective
immediately, although Steele indicated patrols will commence no later
than Feb. 1, and said all calls concerning animal control are to be
directed to Archuleta County Central Dispatch.

Some additional stipulations outlined in the
agreement to hire a second animal control officer include:

- Salary, benefits and associated overhead
costs will be paid monthly as reimbursements to the county by the
PLPOA in the amount of $2,716.

- Uniform, equipment and training expenses
in the amount of $2,400 will be paid by the PLPOA within 10 days of
execution of the contract.

- The PLPOA will lease the vehicle used for
the officer's duties to the county at a negligible amount. The county
will pay for routine maintenance while the PLPOA will pay anything
outside routine maintenance unless the costs are deemed excessive, in
which case the amounts paid by each party will be negotiated.

- The county will bill the PLPOA, at the
rate of 15 cents per mile, for mileage driven within the confines of
the Pagosa Lakes community.

- The Pagosa Lakes officer's primary office
will be located at the sheriff's office, but the PLPOA will supply
office space for the officer while the officer is on patrol within
the Pagosa Lakes community.

Commissioner Downey, speaking after the
approval, said "We hope these people can make a positive impact;
hopefully people will begin to take responsibility themselves on
these issues."

On a separate note, it was learned from
Grandchamp a few hours after the meeting that the county, in apparent
anticipation of an agreement being reached with the PLPOA, had
already hired Brent Finney as the second animal control officer
Friday, Jan. 10.

Grandchamp indicated Finney previously
served as a PLPOA code enforcement officer and was one of six
applicants interviewed for the position.

According to Grandchamp, Finney, like
Capistrant, is attending the National Animal Control Association
Training Academy in Phoenix. Grandchamp said topics covered at the
academy, in addition to those related to animal control, include
self-defense techniques, report writing and weapons qualification
training.

Grandchamp said Finney will supplement his
training by riding along with La Plata County Animal Control officers
and employees of the La Plata County Humane Society prior to starting
his patrols in Pagosa Lakes.

One more surgery due for
Garrett

By Tess Noel Baker

Staff Writer

Garrett Carothers, the 8-year-old boy
attacked by dogs in the Vista Subdivision Dec. 23, is healing well
from most of his injuries.

"His face looks just scratched now," Deanna
Hockett, an aunt and spokesperson for the family, said. "He looks
like himself, but every time he has surgery, he swells up
again."

Carothers, who had injuries on 80 percent of
his body following the attack, faces at least one more surgery.
Hockett said he returned to the plastic surgeon Jan. 8 for a skin
graft on his scalp. He's scheduled to return for more grafts Jan.
21.

About three-quarters of the youngster's
scalp has now been replaced with grafts from the top of his leg, his
aunt said. The grafts are extremely delicate and must be treated very
carefully.

"Anytime you touch the graft area, it breaks
the blood vessels and therefore that sections dies," she said. It's
kept him from returning to school full time, although he plans to
attend a pizza party with his class tomorrow.

The family has been informed that his health
care coverage is not accepted at the facility where Carothers is
being treated.

"The family had to come up with $1,700
before 6:30 Wednesday morning (Jan. 8) to cover just the cost of the
facilities," Hockett said. Cost of the doctor or anesthesiologist
were not included. They will need another $1,700 before Tuesday
morning to cover the next procedure and are asking the community for
help.

Accounts for Carothers have been set up at
Vectra Bank and Bank of Colorado. At Vectra Bank, donations may be
made out in the name of Garrett Carothers or Deanna Hockett. For the
Bank of Colorado account, checks should be made out to the Garrett
Carothers Medical Fund. Checks for that fund will be accepted at any
Bank of Colorado branch.

Hockett said the family hasn't had a chance
to call the insurance company yet to determine where they would have
to go to receive coverage.

Refinancing opens view for Casa
de los Arcos

By Tess Noel Baker

Staff Writer

It took many hours, tons of work and a
little luck, but Casa de los Arcos has a new look and a better
budget.

"It's just daylight in my bedroom all the
time," resident Dorothy Million said. "I just love it."

Rehabilitation of the disabled and senior
housing included replacing the arches with smaller poles to let in
more light, replacing heating units and one window to improve
efficiency and safety in the apartments, and adding a window to each
apartment.

Susan Stoffer, Casa de los Arcos manager,
said the original architect for the eight-building complex was from
Arizona. His design was in keeping with desert conditions with many
elements to keep out the sun. Unfortunately, his design worked so
well, residents couldn't even grow plants in their rooms.

For the last 20 years, budget constraints
have kept the housing authority's board from trying any type of major
remodeling. And kept residents in the dark.

"We were paying a monthly mortgage of $8,000
which took up most of the budget," Stoffer said. Most of Casa de los
Arcos' funding comes from rent payments and subsidies from federal
Housing and Urban Development programs.

Residents are required to put 30 percent of
their income toward rent. The rest comes from subsidies. Stoffer said
80 percent of the 18 people housed in Casa's 16 apartments fall under
the category of extremely low income. For the year, those in that
category bring in somewhere under $9,200.

With an $8,000 mortgage payment, Stoffer
said, and something like $10,000 a month in income, things had been
really tight since the apartments were built back in 1982.

Then, in May 2001, while the board was
considering refinancing options, they were introduced to a special
HUD program which would allow them to reduce interest rates on their
mortgage and forgive some debt.

"The Mark to Market program was a total
blessing," Stoffer said. It was introduced to the five-member board
by independent developer Dale Greenwood.

"She found it and followed through," Stoffer
said. At the time, Casa de los Arcos was faced with a very small time
frame in which to get all the paperwork done and the hoops jumped
through. But, with many hours of hard work by Greenwood, staff, the
board, federal and state representatives and Dan DeLisle from Heskin
Signet Partners, it all came together.

This was a new program, Stoffer said, and
everyone faced it on the same learning curve. At all levels, from
federal to the state authority, Colorado Housing Finance Authority,
to the local board, people worked to make Casa de los Arcos the
prototype for other programs to follow. Greenwood even donated her
time, valued at about $29,000, to see that more money was left over
for on-site improvements.

In the end, the Mark to Market program
allowed Casa de los Arcos to reduce its interest rate from 13 percent
to four percent and included a forgiveness of debt totalling
approximately $400,000. The program has also been extended, allowing
other such housing developments to take advantage of the
savings.

Today, Stoffer said, the monthly mortgage
payment with insurance is about $1,100, freeing up far more money for
other projects.

"We've got the best budget we've had for 20
years," she added. That allowed them to access other HUD funds for
the rehabilitation and replacement projects.

The focus, Stoffer said, was on the
residents, improving their safety and quality of life. That meant
focusing on utilities and lighting. Prior to the remodeling, which
began at the end of November, residents had just two windows to the
outside. With the shadow cast by the arches, many couldn't see the
sky from their apartments.

To change that, Bill Martinez, of Martinez
Maintenance, replaced 16 windows and put in 15 new ones, giving each
resident an additional window in the utility room or bedroom and
improving efficiency of the apartment.

His bid for everything came in at half of
the first bid they received, Stoffer added. That allowed them the
extra money needed for the new windows.

Residents, Stoffer said, pay their own
utilities. With the former system - electric baseboard heat - that
sometimes meant bills of over $100 in the winter, a hardship on a
fixed income. To help out, the electric baseboards were replaced with
Electric Thermal Storage Units installed by All Phases
Electric.

"LPEA said we could expect bills to be at
least one-third of what they were," Stoffer said. Installation
started in November, so most will begin to see the savings on this
month's bill. She thanked Mike Alley and Debbie Bass at La Plata
Electrical Association for their help on the project.

Besides all that, the arches for which the
buildings were named were replaced with simple posts to let in even
more light.

"They (the contractors) were out there
working like crazy, even when it was cold and snowy," Stoffer said.
"Everyone involved cared about the people here."

Now, it might even be possible for residents
to grow plants in their rooms.

Stoffer said as funding is found, projects
around the complex will continue. The next item on the agenda is
updating and replacing the medical fire alarm system. They will also
be looking at replacing the exterior of the buildings with either new
siding or stucco to reduce the painting costs.

The key, Stoffer said, is that they now have
the option.

"Everything we're doing now will affect
these people for the next 20 years," she said.

Members of the Casa de los Arcos Board
include Curtis Miller, Gene Crabtree, Judy James and Barb
Draper.

All-day kindergarten, new
playground grant proposed

By Richard Walter

Staff Writer

Two elementary school proposals could mean
dramatic changes for the facility if they win approval by the board
of education.

In separate presentations Tuesday before the
board of Archuleta School District 50 Joint, Kahle Charles,
elementary principal and members of his staff outlined
proposals:

- development, based on a year-long study by
faculty, of a full-time kindergarten program with an initial start-up
cost estimated at $335,000

- seeking to apply for a Great Outdoors
Colorado grant, with the Town of Pagosa Springs as the governmental
co-applicant, to finance a new playground development south of the
building with an estimated cost of $80,000.

The kindergarten study involved all
kindergarten and Title 1 teachers along with other faculty.

Charles said the group spent a year
researching other programs, polling parents in the district and
staff.

He said their study revealed that in
location after location, when a full-day kindergarten is instituted,
achievement levels for succeeding grades will increase dramatically.
The study carried that research conclusion through the fourth-grade
level.

He noted the researchers found that when
school districts are taken over by state action because of poor
performance, invariably, one of the first actions taken is to
institute full time kindergarten.

"It becomes a means of improving the overall
school performance," he said, "because it gives youngsters an earlier
exposure to not only word and character sights and sounds but to
social interaction."

For many kindergartners, Charles said "it is
their first experience with groups and with school. When I became
principal," he said, "I was amazed to learn the number one discipline
problem in the school was kindergarten boys.

"They have an attitude, they stake out their
ground and they begin to learn social skills," he added.

Citing the work of Title 1 teacher Kathy
Carter in researching costs, he acknowledged starting such a program
would be a huge decision.

"But down the line," he said, "we could
anticipate less remedial instruction, less social problems and more
balanced students advancing to higher grades."

The basic start-up cost figures cited were
$150,000 for three teachers; $60,000 for three aides, $100,000 for
three classrooms and $25,000 for remodeling of another
classroom.

However, Charles said, there may be ways to
cut that cost. He noted there are two separate areas within the
school where a single wall could be removed to create a
three-classroom equivalent area for team teaching.

That would reduce construction cost and
allow better utilization of existing staff.

Only the food service might be affected to
any extent, Charles said. And that is because the cafeteria can
legally hold only 162 at a time.

"We might have to double up kindergartners
with first and second graders for meals, but it is workable," he
said.

The school now houses 122 kindergartners in
half-day sessions, substantially higher this year than local average
between 90 and 100.

"Certainly, we're teachers," Charles said,
"but this is not just an academic proposal. It provides hands-on
time, interaction time, opportunity for language skills development
and a chance to work with parents to develop a more workable
partnership."

Board director Russ Lee asked Nancy Schutz,
business manager, if the district can afford the program.

She said, "It's a huge amount to remove from
the general fund with no additional funds to replace it, but it could
be done."

She noted the funding for kindergarten is
based only on half day classes, no matter how many students are
involved before decision time."

Director Randall Davis, board president,
said "We seem to have more and more students struggling these days.
The bigger head start we can give them, the better off they'll be and
the better the district will be."

Director Jon Forrest, reflecting on a
statement regarding first grade teachers expressing discouragement at
the level of development of incoming kindergartners, said "I can see
a great need. But I can see the dollar signs flashing, too.

"We need to look at this excellent study by
our teachers and see what we can do," he added.

Lee agreed study is needed. "If we decide
its a program we need to institute, we need to determine what we have
to give up elsewhere."

Noggle told the board the impacts and
possibilities will be addressed in budget preparations.

And Davis urged the administration to keep
in mind the distinct possibility of saving money down the road by
advancing better prepared students.

Charles told the board playground equipment
which once stood at the south end of the school was removed when the
fifth and sixth grades were transferred out of the building.

The action was necessary, he said, when
smaller children began recording numerous injuries while playing on
jungle bars and other equipment.

Since that time, there has been relatively
little use of the playground area south of the building.

Charles said he learned of the possibility
of a GOCO grant while studying other school facilities, particularly
one at Del Norte Elementary School which was secured through a GOCO
grant.

He noted playgrounds can be designed for
specific sites and topography and that the town has agreed to his
initial feelers that it would be a co-op applicant for the
grant.

He told the board the application indicates
the grant will fund up to 70 percent of the anticipated cost, 10
percent must be a cash match by the district, and 20 percent can be
in-kind contributions such as earth removal, volunteer labor,
etc.

He told the board an intergovernmental
agreement already exists between town and school district, but there
are deadlines looming if the grant is to be sought.

Applications must be secured this month and
filed no later than March, with decisions announced in June.

Following his presentation the board
directed Charles and Superintendent Duane Noggle to proceed with the
grant study to get things going for the town to act on.

Charles noted the early start could mean
help down the line. "If we file early, they will review the
application and tell us if we need to adjust or supply additional
data. It would give us an extra advantage if we had to amend the
application."

Weather

Date High Low Precipitation

Type Depth Moisture

1/8

46

10

-

-

-

1/9

44

9

-

-

-

1/10

38

13

-

-

-

1/11

39

15

S

.50

.05

1/12

37

11

-

-

-

1/13

45

12

-

-

-

1/14

48

15

-

-

-

Snow chance slim in coming
week

By Tom Carosello

Staff Writer

While the chance for mountain snow exists to
the north of Pagosa Country in the coming week, the possibility for a
new dusting here remains slim.

According to Jim Smith, a forecaster at the
National Weather Service office in Grand Junction, there is "almost
no chance, not right now" for snow within the next five days.

As a result, snowpack levels in the San Juan
Basin, currently hovering around 75 percent of average, are likely to
dissipate even further.

According to Smith, skies should remain
partly cloudy through this morning then give way to sunny skies in
the afternoon hours with highs from the lower to mid-30s. Tonight
clear skies should prevail with lows near 10.

Friday and Saturday call for partly cloudy
conditions and high temperatures in the 30s. Lows should dip into the
teens.

Sunday and Monday highs should approach the
middle 30s to mid-40s. Partly cloudy skies are expected each
day.

Tuesday, the partly-cloudy pattern continues
with highs again in the mid 30s to mid 40s and lows in the
teens.

A 50-percent chance for snow is forecast for
Wednesday. High temperatures in the low 40s are expected while lows
will plummet into the single-digit range.

Only a scant half-inch of snow was measured
in town last week and that amount equates to just five-hundredths of
an inch in actual moisture. The average high temperature last week
was 42, the average low, 12.

The record high for this day in Pagosa
history is 63 degrees, recorded back in 1944. The all-time low,
recorded in 1947, is minus 31.

Sports
Page

Parks &
Rec

Explaining how raw water use
saves money

By Joe Lister Jr.

SUN Columnist

There have been many questions and concerns
expressed to me in the last few months regarding the cost of
installation of a raw water irrigation system.

Hopefully, I can answer some of those basic
questions and fill you in on why the town of Pagosa Springs, Pagosa
Area Water and Sanitation District, and Archuleta School District 50
Joint are working together so diligently to provide a raw water feed
at the sports complex area on South 5th Street.

The town and PAWS have a master plan for
five raw water feeds throughout town to be used to water different
parks and plant medians. Each diversion has a specified amount of
water that can be drawn from the river at a specific outlet. The
first diversion was activated and used in the summer of 2002 in Town
Park with great success.

An example of our largest feed would be at
the sports complex where there is over eight acres of turf that, in
the past, has been irrigated with treated drinking water.

We water this area five to seven times a
week in the summer, depending on the rains and usage of each field in
a given week.

The amount of water allocated at the site is
one cubic foot per second or approximately 26,000 gallons per hour or
650,000 gallons per day.

Water allocated but not used goes on
downstream.

The water installation is not related to
your monthly water bill, as some people have believed. These projects
by all three entities help save money and utilize our raw resources.
Only the school district and town will be involved in the maintenance
of the pump station. Permits from the Army Corps of Engineers are
pending.

The amount of money saved is equated to the
amount of water used to irrigate these fields and parks that does not
have to go through the water treatment stage, saving on storage and
chemical costs.

We are very aware of the savings that
occurred during our drought last summer. We also concluded the turf
areas watered by raw river water seemed to do better than those areas
irrigated with treated water.

So, when you see a public park nice and
green and the rest of the community on water restrictions, please
remember we are watering directly out of the river and this water is
allocated to us by the Colorado Division of Water Resources.

Youth basketball

The divisions for both the 9-10 and 11-12
brackets are off and running. There were no major setbacks, however
some minor quirks in the new rules need to be worked out and
improved.

Come on down and enjoy a game or two.
They're being played at the Community Center Monday through Thursday
evenings starting at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday mornings at 10
a.m.

Elks hoop shoot

The regional hoop shoot held in Durango this
year was staged Jan. 11 and three Pagosa entrants were high placers
in their age brackets. They included Mary Brinton, a second place;
and Kane Lucero and Taylor Shaffer each with a third place. Thank you
all for your participation and we hope to see you try again next
year.

Teen Center

A karaoke and coffee night is planned Jan.
24, with pizza from 6-7 p.m. and coffee and karaoke 6-10 p.m.

The Teen Center is one of the sections of
the new Community Center. It is for the teens of the community
providing free games, movies and special events nights like this
one.

Pirates wrestle to third in
prestigious Rocky

By Karl Isberg

Staff Writer

If all develops well during the rest of the
season, Pagosa Springs wrestlers could become a formidable tournament
team.

A dual meet and a tournament in wrestling
each require certain characteristics from a team in order to produce
a successful outcome. A great dual meet team puts together a full
squad, gives up few or no forfeits, and has strength at a majority of
weights.

At a tournament, on the other hand,
wrestlers at all levels can make a contribution through a series of
matches, adding points to the team total. A winning team might have a
few athletes who take first place in their classes, but wrestlers
finishing in other positions, if enough contribute, can make the
difference.

Pagosa hosted the annual Rocky Mountain
tournament Saturday and, with a third-place finish behind winner
Aztec, N.M. and second-place Centauri, the Pirates were one of the
better teams in the 14-team field.

"This tournament was a big contrast to a lot
of our early outings," said Coach Dan Janowsky. "We still have a lot
to do but, emotionally and technically, we were more focused on what
we needed to be doing. We looked good and we need to keep working to
get better."

The Pirates placed four wrestlers in the
finals at the Rocky - more than in any other year.

Pagosa also had two tournament champions -
more than in any other year.

Darren Hockett put together an excellent day
at 103 pounds to dominate the field.

Hockett started his day by pinning a
wrestler from Bayfield with 3 minutes, 40 seconds gone in the
match.

A 12-4 major decision in the championship
quarterfinals over an opponent from Aztec, N.M. put the Pirate
sophomore into the semifinal round.

Next up for Hockett was a wrestler from
Espanola Valley, N.M. The visitor went down 16-2.

Another overwhelming decision, 19-6 , over a
Del Norte athlete gave Hockett the title.

Michael Martinez continued his inspirational
trip back from injury winning three matches to take the championship
at 112. Martinez drew a bye in the first round then demolished a
Bayfield opponent with a 23-8 technical fall.

Martinez had a tough match against
Centauri's Rory Keyes in the semifinals. The wrestlers battled to a
6-6 tie in regulation. Martinez secured the win in overtime,
8-6.

The final - an 11-4 decision over an athlete
from Aztec - put Martinez at the top of the bracket.

Two Pirates ended the day in second place:
Mike Maestas at 125 and Kory Hart at 140.

Following a first-round bye, Maestas pinned
an Alamosa wrestler in the first period then got a pin against a
Bayfield athlete in the second period of the match. Maestas' only
loss was to Centauri's Joel Polkowski.

Hart steamrolled his first three opponents,
getting first-period pins against wrestlers from Monticello, Taos and
Bayfield. Hart's only loss came to a competitor from Durango.

Marcus Rivas was described by his coach as
"one of the most pleasant surprises of the day" as he fashioned a
fourth-place finish at 189, earning significant points for his team.
Rivas started the day with an 8-7 decision over an opponent from
Bayfield and also pinned a wrestler from Aztec in the
quarterfinals.

Cliff Hockett was fifth at 135, going 4-1 at
the tournament. Hockett got a major decision over Durango and managed
three third-period pins defeating opponents from Ignacio, Centauri
and Center.

Clayton Mastin also earned points, at 160.
The senior pinned a man from Del Norte and earned decisions against
Espanola Valley and Centauri.

Zeb Gill was 3-2 at 152 with wins over
opponents from Del Norte, Center and Durango.

Aaron Hamilton contributed to the point
total at 145, beating an unattached wrestler and a wrestler from
Center.

Justin Bloomquist earned points with a win
over an opponent from Bayfield.

"It's been a long time since we had a
champion at our own tournament," said Janowsky. "It was a real
accomplishment to have four guys in the finals. For the most part, I
felt Darren Hockett and Michael Martinez were in control. I was
concerned about Michael's conditioning and I could tell it was
bothering him. But this tournament was the perfect thing for him at
the perfect time. I was real pleased with everyone, and we'll just
keep working at getting better."

The first chance out of the gate is tonight
as the Pirates host Intermountain League rival Bayfield. Junior
varsity matches begin at 6 p.m.

Saturday, the Pirates attend one of the
toughest small tournaments in the state, at Alamosa.

Beside the host, the lineup will include
highly-ranked 4A Montrose, Broomfield and Centaurus from the Front
Range, and the always-strong Aztec.

"This is a tough one," said the coach. "It's
the perfect place to continue what we've been doing, a perfect place
to take another step up, wrestling against some pretty physical kids
from bigger schools."

The Alamosa tourney begins Saturday at 10
a.m.

Grapplers lose to Durango, halt
Monticello

By Karl Isberg

Staff Writer

Pirate wrestlers returned to the mats after
the holiday break and split a pair of dual meets, losing to Durango
39-32 at Durango Jan. 9 and returning to post a 44-21 victory at home
Jan. 10 against Monticello, Utah.

Coach Dan Janowsky thinks his team could
have won the Durango dual, but accepted the loss with a philosophical
turn. "This was our first competition back since the break," he said.
"We weren't good or bad, there just wasn't a lot of energy on our
part. I think we could have won with a better performance, but we had
some guys do well to set us up for Friday."

The Pirates who won matches against Durango
won them big. There were no tight matches when the Pirates came out
on the winning end of the score.

Darren Hockett went on the mat at 112
pounds, perhaps for the last time of the season. Hockett secured a
pin in the first round.

Michael Martinez returned from a severe
football injury and wrestled at 119, likely a one-time-only
appearance at the weight. Martinez won a major decision, 19-7.

At 125, Mike Maestas won another match,
earning the victory with a first-period pin.

Cliff Hockett put points on the scoreboard
with a pin at 135, in the second round of his match.

Zeb Gill continued to look strong at 152. He
nailed a major decision over his Demon opponent.

The next night, in the home gym, the Pirates
scored the win over the visiting Monticello Broncos.

Darren Hockett again made short work of his
opponent, this time at his natural weight, 103 pounds. He pinned the
Bronco in the first period.

Martinez slid down to his preferred weight,
112, and nailed the pin in the third round.

A double forfeit at 119 led to Maestas'
victory with a third-period pin.

Cliff Hockett got a second pin in two
nights, scoring in the second period of the match.

Kory Hart looked good at 140, earning a
14-12 technical fall.

Aaron Hamilton scored a win by decision at
145. Marcus Rivas and Craig Lucero took wins by forfeit at 189 and
215 respectively.

"Friday night helped generate momentum going
into Saturday when we hosted the Rocky Mountain tournament," said
Janowsky. "We lost a few at the start of the dual, then won several
in a row at the end in aggressive fashion. The guys started enjoying
that, whether they were on the mat or not, and that helped them
pursue the same path Saturday."

Pagosa Springs' Caleb Forrest can cause a
lot of headaches for opposing coaching staffs when he's in his
groove.

Maybe that's why a bottle of aspirin graced
the far right side of the scorers' table adjacent to the Aztec
Tigers' bench just before the opening tip Monday night at the Pagosa
Springs High School gymnasium.

Perhaps they knew what was to come. Maybe
they watched him during warmups and sent a gofer off to the drug
store in the minutes leading up to what would prove to be a most
dominating performance by the 6-foot-7-inch Pirate sophomore.

Whatever its purpose, the aspirin was there
- and the entire Aztec basketball community, fans included, would
have good reason to need it.

From the opening minute, it was evident that
Forrest and the rest of Coach Jim Shaffer's squad had come not just
to play, but to run their New Mexico adversaries right out of the
gym.

Forrest easily scored the first six points
of the game while his Pirate teammates kept the Tigers off balance
and frustrated at the onset of the contest.

Forrest continued his onslaught throughout
the first quarter and, with two minutes and 39 seconds left in the
period, the Tiger coaching staff was forced to call its second
timeout in an attempt to quiet the storm. Pagosa led 18-3.

Pirate junior Clayton Spencer scored off a
turnover immediately after the timeout and the Pirates led 20-3. A
couple treys from Aztec's Michael Lambern and a few foul shots got
the Tigers to within nine at quarter's end. They trailed 20-11.

Pirate junior David Kern scored 10 seconds
into the second stanza and again Pagosa led by double digits, 22-11.
The Tigers tried to spread the court and find open shots, but a
swarming Pagosa defense shut down the effort, converting steals into
points at will.

After an Aztec layup, baskets by Forrest and
senior Jason Schutz extended the home team's lead to 26-13 at the
four-minute mark. The Tigers squeezed off a few successful threes,
but field goals from Pirate guard Jeremy Caler and Forrest rendered
them insignificant.

The defensive barricade never weakened, and
by halftime the scoreboard read 34-23, advantage Pirates.

Forrest picked up right where he left off
early in the third, converting a free throw, then beating Aztec
defenders downcourt on Pagosa's next possession and finishing with a
thunderous jam that put Pagosa up 37-23.

Pirate senior Brandon Charles, who led the
team with 10 assists, got into the scoring act seconds later and
converted a drive down the lane to extend the lead to 16. At the next
whistle, Forrest left the court with a bloody nose, but returned a
short while later.

His teammates never missed a beat in his
absence, and Spencer scored the last three points of the period to
boost the lead to 20 as the third-quarter buzzer sounded. Pagosa led
50-30.

After a few Tiger free throws opened the
fourth period, consecutive baskets by Schutz were followed by a
perfect lob to Spencer on an out-of-bounds play to put the home team
on top 56-35 with 4:20 left on the clock.

Shaffer substituted without reservation from
that point on and the Pirates kept the lead hovering around 20 for
the remainder of the game. Pagosa's final basket, a reverse layup by
sophomore Otis Rand, was met with a deafening roar from the crowd.

The Tigers managed one last trey in the
waning seconds, but fell 62-45 in the end. Forrest accounted for
nearly half of Pagosa's winning total with 27.

Remember that bottle of aspirin?

Gone.

After the game, a beaming Shaffer had good
things to say about the overall effort, especially with regard to the
way the Pirates handled the slow-down style of Aztec.

"It doesn't make for a very exciting game,
but our kids were patient and did a good job of being smart in key
situations," said Shaffer.

Shaffer viewed the win, which boosted his
team's record to 9-1 on the season, as an indication the Pirates can
adapt to several styles of play.

"It's hard to do, to slow down, especially
when we want to get out and run. It's a good sign we are able to
adjust. And we still had a lot of good things happen on the
break."

With Bloomfield and a strong Centauri team
coming to town this weekend, the Pirates will look to build upon this
effort and continue their winning ways.

Game time for tomorrow's home battle with
Bloomfield is 7 p.m. The Pirates stay home to face Intermountain
League foe Centauri Saturday night at 7:30, then travel to league
powerhouse Ignacio Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. matchup.

The Pagosa Springs boys' varsity basketball
team and Head Coach Jim Shaffer set foot inside the Durango High
School gymnasium early Saturday morning fully anticipating a spirited
challenge in the form of the Class 5A Demons' varsity basketball
team.

What they got instead was an unexpected
surprise that must have felt like a lighthearted slap in the
face.

Even though the schedule clearly indicated a
varsity matchup between the squads, Shaffer was informed shortly
after his team's arrival that they would be playing Durango's junior
varsity (actually a hybrid team consisting of several standout
varsity regulars accompanied by junior varsity players).

Shaffer was not offered a satisfactory
explanation for the bait and switch, and the disappointment on his
Pirates' faces was obvious as they took the court for warm-up drills.
Minutes later, Shaffer sent his starting five to the floor for the
tip-off.

It was soon apparent that at least one of
the Pirates, 6-foot-7-inch sophomore Caleb Forrest, had taken
personally the apparent lack of respect displayed by the host
Demons.

Forrest, feeding on a steady diet of
low-post passes from fellow Pirates, scored five straight field goals
as Shaffer's squad raced out to an early first-quarter lead.

Durango didn't get on the board until a lone
free throw fell through the net with three minutes and eight seconds
remaining in the opening stanza. Pagosa led 12-1.

Another Demon free throw, followed by a
layup, cut Pagosa's lead to eight at the 1:45 mark of the first
quarter. But Forrest found room on the right baseline less than a
minute later and his driving jam extended the Pirate lead back to
10.

Durango chipped away at the lead in the
final minute and a half, and as the buzzer sounded the scoreboard
read 14-9 in favor of the Pirates.

Pirate junior guard Ryan Goodenberger opened
second-quarter scoring, nailing a free throw that completed a
three-point play after he was fouled on a successful drive. Pagosa
led 17-9. Durango responded by implementing a full-court press on
Pagosa's next possession.

It didn't matter; Goodenberger and Pirate
guard Jeremy Caler converted layups to extend the lead to 21-9 with
just over five minutes left in the half.

Then came the drought. Maybe the
psychological letdown before the game got hold of them; for whatever
reason, things got a little sloppy for the Pirates in the final
minutes leading up to halftime.

Leading 24-12 with under four minutes
remaining in the half, the Pirates committed unforced turnover after
turnover and missed foul shot after foul shot to let the Demons
slowly narrow the gap.

With three Pagosa starters on the bench in
foul trouble, the opponents were able to even the halftime score at
24 all.

Whatever a frustrated Shaffer said to his
group at the intermission, it must have been taken to heart. After
Durango jumped out to an early 28-26 third-quarter lead, the Pirates
decided they had seen enough.

After a Pagosa steal and layup knotted the
score at 28, the Pirates never looked back. Pagosa senior Jason
Schutz seemed determined to take charge in the period, scoring
repeatedly on strong moves along the baseline and on the block.

The Pirates, sparked by Schutz's surge, were
quicker to the ball defensively and smoother offensively than the
Demons throughout the quarter. Back on track, Pagosa closed the third
period up 37-32.

Forrest scored Pagosa's first points in the
final quarter to put Pagosa up 39-32. Pirate junior Clayton Spencer
and senior teammate Brandon Charles wore down their Durango
counterparts with an in-your-face defensive effort that led to steals
and several breakaway scores for the Pirates.

At the 4:02 mark, Pagosa led 43-34. Spencer
scored at 3:51 to make it 45-34, and as the defensive fury
intensified, the Pirates pulled away down the stretch. When the final
buzzer sounded, the Pirates had earned a 57-42 victory.

After the game, Shaffer attributed the
temporary collapse in the second quarter to a three-week layoff and
the carryover from the varsity-versus-junior varsity debacle.

"We hadn't played in three weeks," said
Shaffer, "and we find out we're playing their junior varsity; that
was a huge letdown for us.

"Most of it was a mental deal. We had three
starters on the bench in foul trouble. We missed 10 free throws in
the quarter. For five or six minutes, it was about as ugly as it
gets."

Shaffer was pleased, however, with his
team's effort later in the game. "We were doing the right things in
the second half," said the coach. "Bottom line, it's a win."

The win boosted Pagosa's season record to
8-1. Forrest led all Pagosa scorers with 21 points, followed by
Goodenberger with 12 and Schutz with six. Spencer, Caler and Charles
added five each, David Kern, two and Brandon Samples, one.

The Pirates will play at home against
Bloomfield tomorrow at 7 p.m. and remain home for a Saturday night
contest with Centauri at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday night the Pirates will
travel to Ignacio for a 7:30 p.m. game.

It's even tougher when you lose your leading
scorer and rebounder to a broken hand early in the second
quarter.

Those were just two obstacles faced by the
Pagosa Springs Lady Pirates Friday when they lost 41-39 to Aztec's
Tigers in a game which could have gone either way - and actually did,
several times.

Coach Bob Lynch told his Pagosa squad before
the game that he didn't want them to have to pull themselves out of a
huge deficit as they had against Manitou Springs.

"Start early and keep the pressure on," he
said.

The Ladies seemed to take the advice to
heart, scoring on their first two possessions, the plays almost
mirror images.

Each score went to sophomore forward Bri
Scott breaking off screens by Lori Walkup and converting assist
passes from Shannon Walkup with 10-foot jumpers. The Lady Pirates
built a 10-3 lead but, before the period ended, trailed 13-10.

Most of that surge was traceable to Aztec's
Cassie Davis who drilled two of her three treys in the game in the
period.

Shannon Walkup added four points for Pagosa
in the period and Lori drove the length of the court, split two
defenders and layed in a left-hander for the other marker.

After a stern lecture from Lynch between
periods, Pagosa surged to a 15-9 second-quarter margin and a 25-22
halftime lead.

That edge was the result of five more points
by Scott who was two-for-two from the floor in the period, including
the first of her two three-pointers.

But the Pirate edge was quickly dulled just
1 minute, 21 seconds into the frame when Lori Walkup jammed a hand on
a successful back court steal and moments later blocked a shot before
coming out of the game holding her right wrist.

Swelling began immediately and after
halftime, Lynch told the family he did not want to put her back in
action, fearing the worst.

That worst was confirmed Saturday when
X-rays showed the break and the Lady Pirates lost the leader of the
Super Soph brigade for 3-4 weeks.

Perhaps it was that loss, but the Ladies
opened the second half stone cold and stayed that way, going 0-12
from the floor in the period and scoring only four points, all from
the free throw line.

Still, tenacious defense had them down only
30-29 at the end of three periods.

Aztec's Brittany Gillespie, who had been
guarded by the injured Walkup, was the producer of all eight Aztec
points in the period on three field goals and two from the charity
stripe.

With Scott drilling first a two-pointer and
then a trey, Pagosa jumped right back into the lead in the final
stanza.

But Kelsi Elkins hit a pair of driving
layups to bring the lead back to Aztec.

From that point on it was anyone's game.
But, except for a short jumper by Katie Bliss, the Pirates could not
find the range again. They got two free throws from Laura Tomford and
Shannon Walkup drilled another, giving her 9 of 15 for the night from
the line.

With 2:11 left Pagosa had a 38-35 lead and
Shannon Walkup went to the charity stripe fouled in the act of
shooting. But her spell had worn off and she missed both
shots.

Davis nailed a long trey to tie the game
again with 1:43 left. Walkup was fouled again while shooting and
converted one of two to give the lead back to Pagosa by one with 39
seconds left.

Just six seconds later Caitlyn Jewell went
to the foul stripe for Pagosa and missed the first shot. Her second
toss was true but officials ruled she stepped over the line and the
margin stayed at one - for four seconds.

Davis tied it for Aztec with the last of her
11 points in the game, hitting one of two from the stripe with 34
seconds left.

And then Gillespie, who had been silent
after her big third quarter, got her only offensive rebound of the
night and put it back for a two-point lead the final margin of
41-39.

The Lady Pirates hit only 10 of 36 shots
from the floor and only 16 of 37 from the free throw line while
committing 23 turnovers, their biggest giveaway game of the
season.

Aztec, meanwhile, shot 15 of 39 from the
floor and 8 of 17 from the line.

Pagosa outrebounded Aztec 40-19.

Without a starting guard, the Ladies will
have to regroup, said Lynch, who also promised a lot of free throw
practice this week before the girls host Bloomfield Friday night and
then open the Intermountain League season hosting league favorite
Centauri Saturday evening.

"We'll have to get strong performances from
some of the other players," he said. "This is a challenge to them.
They lost a strong player but we have others who can fill in
adequately."

"We will, however, need to see some
self-motivation from those we put on the floor," he added. "They
won't be able to look for Lori to pass to, to bail them out. They'll
have to make the shots themselves."

In addition to the loss of Walkup, the squad
also temporarily lost swing player Liza Kelly to a calf muscle tear
on a stop-and-go move in the junior varsity game. Prognosis indicates
a two-week absence.

Les Bleeker, formerly of Pagosa Springs,
died peacefully Dec. 30, 2002, in Yuma, Ariz. He was 70 years
old.

Les was born Dec. 28, 1932. Before retiring
to Yuma he was a resident of Pagosa Springs for 29 years.

He is survived by his wife, Frances, and by
a son and daughter.

A memorial service was held in Yuma.

Dora McMillan

Dora Angela McMillan, born July 19, 1934, in
Pagosa Springs to Louis and Sarah Padilla, died Jan. 8, 2003, at the
Marian Center, a nursing home in St. Paul, Minn., of
pneumonia.

Dora married Henry (Mac) McMillan, a Fort
Sumner, N.M., native in June, 1955, in Pagosa Springs. They then
lived in Pagosa Springs, Silverton and Dolores, where Mac worked as
superintendent of schools in the local school system.

Dora and Mac were blessed with three
children during this time and they remained in Dolores until Mac's
untimely death in an airplane crash Oct. 29, 1964.

Dora and her children then moved to Durango
in 1965 where she worked as a secretary at Park Elementary School and
later as a store clerk until her children graduated from high school.
In 1977, she moved to Aztec, N.M., to be near her father and
siblings, living there until 1995 when she moved to St. Paul to be
near her daughter.

After her husband's death, Dora struggled
valiantly with bipolar disorder and was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in
1997. When feeling well, Dora was a wonderful and caring mother,
grandmother, sister, aunt and friend to many people who loved her
dearly. She spent her last years magnificently cared for at the
Marian Center.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded
in death by her parents, brothers Jesus and Amos, and sister, Lila
Gomez, all of Aztec. She is survived by her children, Marcheta
(Terry) Madden of St. Paul; Sheila (Warren) Witler of Buena Vista,
and John Irvin (Kathy) McMillan of Hobbs, N.M.; seven grandchildren,
Henry, Francesca, Michael, Aaron, D'Shae, John Ross and Rachel; a
brother, Andy, of Aztec; brothers-in-law Johnny (Winona) of Ft.
Sumner, N.M., and J. Chris Gomez Jr. of Aztec; and sisters-in-law
Helen Shaw of Ft. Sumner, Carol Ann Senowich (Ron) of Woodstock Ga.,
and Lilliosa Padilla of Aztec, as well as many loving nieces,
nephews, friends and cousins.

Visitation was 9-10 a.m. Saturday at
Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Pagosa Springs where a
Rosary was prayed at 10 a.m. Saturday. Mass of Christian Funeral
followed at 10:30 a.m. and she was buried next to her husband in the
Padilla family plot in Pagosa's Hilltop Cemetery.

The family would like to thank everyone for
their thoughts, prayers and generosity.

Tony C. Perea

Tony C. Perea, a lifelong resident of
Archuleta County, born in Trujillo on March 25, 1915, died in his
Pagosa Springs home Jan. 13, 2003. He was 87.

The son of Pedro and Margarita Perea, he was
married to Juanita Nickerson in Durango, Colo., in October,
1945.

A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he was
a member of the American Legion, and had been employed as a
construction supervisor for Eaton International.

Tony enjoyed reading Western novels and
watching his great granddaughters.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday
in Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church with burial to follow in
Hilltop Cemetery. The family suggests any memorial donations be to
the American Legion Scholarship fund.

Tony was preceded in death by his mother and
father, his wife, Juanita, and brothers Dewey, Pete, Costello and
Joe.

Questions concerning gravel quality and reclamation timetables
were at the heart of a public hearing for a proposed gravel pit near
Chromo held during last week's meeting of the Upper San Juan Regional
Planning Commission.

Pending approval of a conditional use permit sought by Canon
City-based Hard Rock Paving and Redi-Mix Inc., the 22-acre Bramwell
Sand and Gravel Operation will be located along the west side of U.S.
84 and the north and south sides of its intersection with County Road
391. An asphalt batch plant, approved in September of last year, will
also be located on the tract.

The targeted parcel is adjacent to the Navajo and Little Navajo
rivers and is owned by Planning Commissioner Sandra Bramwell and her
husband. Commissioner Bramwell recused herself prior to any
discussion of the project at the Jan. 8 meeting.

A recent analysis of the site and subsequent report was completed
by county planning staff. The findings were presented at the onset of
the hearing by Greg Comstock, director of county development.

Comstock said that, based on adherence to county land use
regulations, minimal threat to natural resources and wildlife
habitat, and his own personal experience during a weekend visit to
the property, the site is appropriate for a gravel mining operation.

The planning report and an accompanying visual presentation by
Marcus Baker, associate county planner, reiterated Comstock's
assessment. The presentation cited the lack of occupied residences in
the immediate area and the property's proximity to U.S. 84, thereby
facilitating the repaving of the highway, as additional reasoning for
support of the project.

The planning staff's recommendation for approval, subject to
certain conditions, was then reviewed by the planning commission.

During the public comment portion of the hearing, Paul Kessler,
representing Rock Paving and Redi-Mix Inc., spoke in support of the
project and said the gravel quality at the site exceeds that of
gravel found at other mining areas within the county.

Speaking in opposition of the proposal, Commissioner Lynn Constan
asked, "How do we know this is higher quality than the gravel at the
existing mine in Chromo?"

Kessler didn't offer absolute proof, but said that present
Colorado Department of Transportation requirements for asphalt call
for the use of the type of gravel found on the property.

Constan also asked why the project should be extended from its
initial completion date, including reclamation, of August 2004 to
June 2006, wondering why the company couldn't simply mine a two-year
supply of gravel within an approximate one-year time frame.

Kessler replied, "We're here to help you guys as much as we
possibly can, but with the constant changes in grading, you can't go
in and mine for a two-year supply of asphalt any more."

The recommendation, subject to other conditions set forth by the
planning commission, ultimately met with preliminary approval. The
vote was not unanimous, however; Constan cast the solitary dissenting
vote.

In other business, the planning commission:

- elected Robert Huff as the new chairman and William Shurtleff as
vice chairman

- granted conditional approval of a final plat review requesting
division of a 35-acre tract located approximately 1.5 miles south of
the U.S. 84/U.S. 160 intersection into four lots and an open space
tract to be known as Summit View Estates

- granted conditional approval of a sketch plan review requesting
the subdivision of 41.15 acres into two lots split by County Road
326; the property location is 11810 County Road 326 and is currently
described as the Harvey Minor Impact Subdivision.

Commissioners mull abandonment
of Regester Loop

By Tom Carosello

Staff Writer

"When a portion of the county primary system is relocated and
because of such relocation a portion of the route as it existed
before such relocation is, in the opinion of the board of county
commissioners, no longer necessary as part of the county road system,
such portion shall be considered as abandoned, and title to it shall
revert to the owner of the land through which such abandoned portion
may lie ..."

Those phrases, taken from Colorado Revised Statute 43-2-113,
served as the nucleus for arguments concerning the abandonment of a
portion of the historic Blanco Basin Road during a public hearing
conducted by the county commissioners Tuesday night.

The portion in question, most commonly known as the Regester Loop,
has recently been mired in controversy due to an apparent oversight
dating back to 1966.

According to an affidavit dated May 15, 2001, and signed by
William Seielstad Jr., the abandonment was implied during the summer
of 1966, but never put to paper.

The affidavit states Seielstad was a county commissioner during
that summer and conveys the board "put together a series of swaps
between the county, the U.S. Forest Service, and several private
landowners" in an effort to facilitate logging and tunnel projects in
the area.

Seielstad reached an agreement with Chuck Regester, who owned the
property through which the controversial portion of "old" Blanco
Basin Road runs, to grant a right of way on a separate portion of his
property for the "new" road.

The "new" road is now known as simply Blanco Basin Road, or County
Road 326. The problem is that no documentation can be found that
would officially indicate an abandonment of the old road.

Seielstad's affidavit speaks to that issue, stating "I assure you
that it was the intent of all the parties that the "old" road, the
portion running through the Regesters' place, would be abandoned ...
and remain the private property of the Regesters."

Stancill, arguing in favor of abandonment of at least the segment
running through the Regester property, said the language of the
statute is palpable and self-explanatory.

Stancill said the statute is proof in itself that the road is
appropriate for abandonment, reiterating that the commissioners have
the power to make such a choice.

Stancill said he and his client thought that, among other things,
due to the rough nature of the section of the road and the fact that
abandonment would not prevent access to Forest Service lands, the
commissioners would be justified by opting for abandonment since the
public did not engage in heavy use of the portion except during
hunting season.

On the flip side, Robert Smith, who said he lives 12 miles in on
Blanco Basin Road, contended that abandonment was not the
alternative.

Smith argued that because of its historic value, aesthetic
qualities and possible use as an alternate escape route in the event
of a fire, the road should keep its designation as a county road to
be used by the public.

"I believe abandonment would set a precedent in which roads would
be given up for personal gain at the expense of the public," said
Smith.

According to Mary Weiss, the county attorney, a review of past
commissioner meeting minutes turned up no proof that abandonment of
the road was ever discussed, at least during the summer of 1966, and
cited the Seielstad affidavit as the primary indicator of such
sentiments.

Stancill pointed out that, in his opinion, the fact that "these
i's and t's were not dotted and crossed" should not weigh against his
client's argument. He added that he was strictly concerned with only
the portion running through the Regester property and not the portion
running through adjacent properties.

Alden Ecker, commission chairman, near the hearing's end, said
"Personally, I would be in favor of closing the whole road, but now
there's a monkey wrench thrown in."

The monkey wrench is a gas well located just off of the road.
Ecker wondered if there is alternate access to the well if the road
is abandoned. Regester said there was an old jeep trail that accesses
the road and said he hadn't seen any recent activity around the well
anyway.

Commissioners Mamie Lynch and Bill Downey then concluded that
perhaps they should contact another former commissioner, Lewis
Lucchini, to see if he had any input on the situation.

Apparently, Lucchini had also served on the board during the
summer of 1966 with Seielstad and it was thought he could provide
background lacking with regard to the "handshake" land deals struck
during that time frame.

At night's end, with no decision looming, the commissioners
ultimately decided to continue the discussion at their regular Jan.
28 board meeting. The public can attend the hearing at 10:30 a.m. in
the Archuleta County Courthouse meeting room.

PLPOA agrees to fund second
county animal control officer

By Richard Walter

Staff Writer

Emotions ran the gamut, from the predictable tears and near
breakdowns over the mauling of an 8-year-old, to plaudits for the
Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association for work done to date to
eliminate dangerous animal problems.

After amending their Jan. 9 agenda to allow full public comment
with no time limit and moving the animal control question up to the
time period immediately following the public statements, directors
approved what they hope will be a first step to providing continuous
animal control in the 26 association subdivisions.

Specifically, on a motion by Director Tom Cruse, board president,
the directors agreed the association will fully fund an animal
control officer position, primarily for work within association
boundaries.

Cruse's approved motion specified "the sheriff's office will be
responsible for the hiring, staffing, scheduling and coordination of
all assigned animal control persons to assure the association of
patrolling and response coverage consistent with the position."

It also specified the association will no longer take animal
control as part of its rules and regulations after the contract is
enacted with the sheriff's office and the new control officer is
hired, trained and operating in the Pagosa Lakes area. County
ordinances on animal control will be taken as operative documents
within the Pagosa Lakes communities and current association rules and
regulations will be revised accordingly.

Funds for the contract with the sheriff's office were authorized
by the motion, amount to be determined, and it was noted required
budget adjustments will be made, on the general manager's
recommendation, when all details of the contract have been worked out
and approved.

The action Jan. 9 came in the wake of two dogs attacking young
Garrett Carothers Dec. 21, dragging him to the street and biting him
repeatedly.

The attack stirred a neighborhood uproar and ongoing criticism of
both Pagosa Lakes officials and those of the sheriff's office.

One of the two dogs was shot by a deputy sheriff when it charged
him after the attack on Carothers. The other was put down with the
agreement of the owner, David Martinez, who along with his mother,
Sandra Schultz, faces possible fines of $500 to $5,000 and three to
18 months in jail if found guilty after answering a court summons
expected to be issued the district attorney's office.

The attack in the Vista community was the latest in a series of
events there which resulted in creation last year of a Neighborhood
Watch Association and its efforts to acquire additional lighting as a
crime deterrent and additional funding for safety features from PLPOA
along with additional patrols by sheriff's deputies.

Time and again the point was made that even if the association
still had an animal control officer on staff that person could not
legally go onto any property without agreement from the property
owner.

To do so, under current Colorado law, noted Cruse, "would
constitute trespass and subject the person to possible arrest
themselves."

A county authorized, employed and paid officer, however, has the
power of law behind them and could help solve at least a part of the
problem.

"There are legal limits on what we can do," Cruse said. "It would
be trespass even if an association officer went onto a green belt
area."

He added, "It's easy for people to say 'keep us safe.' But they
don't know what our legal limitations are. We are and have been
working on the problem, even before the unfortunate incident with
Garrett Carothers. This action gives us more leverage and does not
preclude us from enforcing existing codes in the future if the
sheriff's office fails to satisfy our needs."

Mauling spurs flood of tears,
anger and ideas

By Richard Walter

Staff Writer

Members of Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association got their
first public opportunity Jan. 9 to react to the recent attack on a
young boy by two dogs in the Vista subdivision.

And react, they did.

Here are some of the comments made, in order of their appearance
and in all cases edited for content and length. It should be noted
the comments were made before board action:

Mojie Adler of Meadows 4 said "I just do not understand the dog
mentality that exists in this community. Irresponsible dog owners and
failure of the board to do more than 'discuss' the continuing dog
problem in our community is absolutely intolerable. In the absence of
a dog control officer and a safety office, I hereby volunteer to
personally patrol all 26 subdivisions to rid PLPOA of all roaming
dogs - and I do not mean capture and release, I mean rid! I estimate
there would be at least 100 dogs gone during the first week of my
patrol."

Paul Lerno said, "Thank you for serving. You have a job I wouldn't
do. But I must say it is obvious the dog policy we have does not
work."

Denise Carothers, aunt of the attacked child, said "... it has
become degrading to live in Vista. It is not the place it used to be.
There is no safety for residents. You can't imagine what that child
has gone through and must still go through ... and the problem goes
on. As late as this afternoon I had to chase a stray dog out of the
family's yard. The children are afraid to go out. They saw what
happened to Garrett and were sickened by the sight."

Rebecca Apodaca of Vista said she, too, is a neighbor of the
Carothers family and "It was I who called you about those same two
dogs several times ... It was I who got no response to my complaints.
It was I who helped the child into the house. It was I who was not
heard."

Mary Sealy of North Village Lake said wild dogs are all over the
area. "They come in with contractors. They're big dogs and they make
us all unsafe. It seems the builders must have a big pickup, a big
dog and no conscience."

Joe Marion of Vista asked directors, "If you can't enforce the
rules and regulations for safety of our residents, What the Sam Hill
are you doing in those seats?"

Ronald Bach told of a renter who was attacked by a dog on the
street outside their house. "If you can't take a walk on your own
street," he asked, "where is safety found? Where do you end this?
Dogs at large have to be controlled."

Terry Hain said everyone in the community has "been let down by
the sheriff and PLPOA. We need to put some forceful codes together
and enforce them. How about requiring a $1,000 bond for first offense
and forfeiture of that bond if the same dog is a second offender? You
have to make the punishment painful: $50 or $100 fines won't be the
answer. This little boy had to pay the price of our neglect."

Tenets of animal control code
far reaching

By Tess Noel Baker

Staff Writer

First there were two. Then there was one. Then two again, and now
three. Starting around the first of February, three animal control
officers will serve Pagosa Country.

One is employed, and has been employed, by the town of Pagosa
Springs and upholds the town's dog control ordinances. The other two,
currently in training in Phoenix, are county employees.

One will be responsible for the county at large. The other will
spend most of his time in the Pagosa Lakes area. Both will work to
uphold the county's dog control and vaccination ordinance adopted
April 30, 2002.

This ordinance outlines prohibitions against dogs running at
large, nuisance dogs and vicious dogs. It also requires that all dogs
in unincorporated areas of the county receive rabies vaccinations.

Basically, the ordinance requires all dogs to be under the
"control" of their owners at all times. In the ordinance, a
"controlled" dog is one "on a leash of sufficient strength to
restrain the dog; or confined in a building, fence, enclosure, motor
vehicle, or other structure in such a way that it does not escape; or
is on property possessed by its owner and is confined thereon in such
a way that is does not escape or is in the presence of the owner."

A dog within sight and hearing distance of its owner, and one who
returns to within four feet of its owner on command is considered in
control. A dog that bites, jumps on, harasses, chases or attacks a
person, domestic animals or wildlife is considered out of control
unless it is acting in defense of the owner, owner's family or
property.

Dogs not under control, which includes nuisance dogs, vicious dogs
and dogs at large, can be cited under the ordinance or under
applicable state statutes.

A vicious dog is defined by the county's ordinance as "a dog that
bites or attacks a person or other animal without provocation or a
dog that approaches any person or other animal in a vicious or
terrorizing manner in an apparent attitude of attack, on any public
or private property." Exceptions include times when the dog is
defending the owner's property, owner or family.

If found in violation of the policies of the ordinance, owners can
be penalized with fines, jail time or both.

A violation of the ordinance that does not involve bodily injury
to any person is considered a Class 2 petty offense. For a first
offense, the owner may be fined between $25 and $50. A second offense
could net a fine between $51 and $100. Third or subsequent offenses
require the owner to appear in Archuleta County Court. Penalties in
these cases can include a fine between $150 and $300, or jail time of
up to 90 days, or both, for each separate offense.

If a person is injured during the violation, the charges are
bumped up to a Class 2 misdemeanor as outlined under the Colorado
Revised Statues. Currently, penalties range from a fine of between
$250 and $1,000 or imprisonment for three months up to 12 months, or
both.

Any dog not under control of its owner may also be impounded at
the Humane Society of Pagosa Springs. Notice of impoundment is given
to the owner, providing an address or phone number can be found on
the dog, or posted at the humane society. If the dog is not claimed
within five days of notification, the dog is deemed abandoned. At
that time, it may be placed for adoption or euthanized in accordance
with the policies of the impoundment facility.

If the dog is claimed, the owner is responsible for paying all
impoundment fees, boarding, care or veterinarian costs. The owner
must also show proof of rabies vaccination before the dog can be
released.

This current ordinance replaces a "dogs at large" ordinance passed
in 1980 and a nuisance dog resolution adopted in 1992.

PAWS finalizes bond
issue

By Tom Carosello

Staff Writer

The directors of the Pagosa Area Water and
Sanitation District finalized a resolution Tuesday to execute the
sale of nearly $5.7 million in general obligation water bonds.

Revenue resulting from the bond sale will be
aimed at several improvements within the district, the encasement of
Dutton Ditch and enlargement of Stevens Reservoir heading the
list.

According to General Manager Carrie
Campbell, discussions with the U.S. Forest Service and Army Corps of
Engineers concerning the necessary permits for the Dutton and Stevens
projects are ongoing. Cost for the two projects is estimated at about
$8.5 million.

In other business, the board took public
comments considering the inclusion of three additional properties
into district boundaries for water purposes.

Campbell said that although the district
still adheres to the moratorium set for new inclusions, extenuating
circumstances with regard to easement grants ultimately resulted in
the inclusion of the properties, each assigned three equivalent
units, into the district.

Campbell also noted that the board tabled a
consideration of 2003 water and wastewater connection fees until its
Jan. 28 regular meeting.

Letters

Lack of manners

Dear Editor:

Last night, (Jan. 8) my husband and I attended the showing of Lord
of the Rings, The Two Towers.

As the theater started filling up, people were talking to each
other while the advertisements and credits were being shown. As the
main feature began the audience very quickly stopped talking except
for one woman who talked throughout the entire show.

We were located six to eight rows in front of her and the people
she was with and on the opposite side of the theater. When I say this
woman talked the entire time, I mean it literally. She not only
talked, she was using a voice that carried throughout the audience.

I kept turning around trying to locate her position and was very
shocked when the lights came on to see that we were sitting so far
away from her and her group.

As we started to leave the lady in front of me commented how she
would have enjoyed the movie so much more if it hadn't been for the
rudeness and lack of caring of this one particular woman. I can only
wonder why no one in her group did not ask her to please be quiet.

I guess I'm partly at fault for not seeking her out and asking her
to tone down her comments, but I didn't go to the movie to be so
rudely interrupted and play movie cop.

This letter must seem very unimportant to some, but if we all
don't take responsibility for ourselves and practice manners and good
judgment then this will possibly give others, especially our
children, the idea that since an adult was talking it must be
acceptable. This woman probably whispers all the way through church
and meetings she attends.

It is my hope that when she attends another movie that she takes
into consideration that everyone else paid the same amount of money
she did and would appreciate her quietness throughout the entire
movie.

Sharon Becker

Capitol rally

Dear Editor:

Colorado will rally to protest nearly $14.5 million in mental
health funding scheduled to be slashed from Community Mental
healthcare budget in Colorado's current budget crisis.

Up to 2,000 mental health consumers, providers, advocates,
legislators, family members, business professionals and others will
gather at the State Capitol today to urge elected officials to
protect mental health funding. The importance of protecting mental
health services that help people recover from major mental illness
will be stressed in hopes that the thousands of Coloradans whose
wellness depends on these services will not lose them.

"With mental illness affecting one in five Coloradans, reducing
the psychiatric care of thousands whose wellness and productive
living depends on it is something we can not afford," said George
DelGrosso, executive director of Colorado Behavioral Healthcare
Council. He is a member of a Colorado coalition organizing the event
that includes the Mental Health Association of Colorado, The National
Alliance for the Mentally Ill and Federation of Families.

While one in five Americans suffer from some form of mental
illness during his or her lifetime, less than 30 percent will receive
the needed treatment, according to the 2002 U.S. Surgeon General's
Report on Mental Health. Stigma, fear and a lack of understanding
must be addressed so individuals can freely access treatment that is
successful in nearly 70 percent of all cases.

Mental illness such as depression, bipolar disorder, post
traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia have a proven biological
basis. These illnesses are real, common and treatable. Take a stand
and join Colorado in bringing mental illness to the public domain for
a healthy Colorado.

Ben Heath

Southwest Colorado

Mental Health Center

Charity help

Dear Editor,

I want to take this opportunity to thank all those who were a part
of Pagosa Springs' effort in collecting 700 boxes for Operation
Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan's Purse. Our boxes were
included in the 6 million international total that went to children
around the world. OCC helps children regardless of race or religion
in areas where there have been earthquakes, floods, war and other
devastation with these gifts as expressions of love and hope.

Many from our community helped to more than exceed our goal of 500
boxes this year by selecting small toys, school supplies and candy to
pack in brightly decorated shoeboxes. Many men told me they found it
a great way to get into the holiday spirit and play with the toys.
Yes, on Nov. 21, we delivered over 700 boxes to the relay station in
Pueblo. Over 26,000 boxes were collected from southern Colorado and
Pagosa Springs was one of the 18 relay centers. Neighbors in Durango,
Ignacio, Cortez, Bayfield and Silverton gave as well and were
involved as part of our total.

Then, from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10 over 3,500 volunteers came to the
Denver Processing Center to help ship out the 326,969 boxes that left
Colorado bound for Latin America, with 3,500 staying in New Mexico
for the Navajo reservations. This year's total was a 33 percent
national and international increase from 2001.

April Holthaus

Southwest Coordinator, Operation Christmas Child

Pagosa Springs

Dog laws

Dear Editor:

I was pleased to learn that the owners of the dogs involved in the
Dec. 23 attack on Garrett Carothers are being brought to justice,
even though the laws seem inadequate, as stated in last week's SUN.

Originally from the UK, a country one associates with dog lovers,
I was researching, out of curiosity, their dog laws and one of many
Web sites on the subject http://www.doglawuk.cwc.net gives
information on the UK's handling of all types of dog issues, and
includes a segment of their Dangerous Dog Act 1991.

Section 3 of the Act refers to dogs of all types and makes it a
criminal offence to allow any dog to be dangerously out of control in
a public place or a private place where the dog has no right to be.

It further states (with a notation that more research is required)
that a dog is regarded as being "dangerously out of control" if there
are grounds for suspecting that it will injure a person whether or
not it actually does. If NO injury is caused, a fine of approximately
$3,000 or six months imprisonment can be imposed. For actual injury
it carries a penalty of two years' imprisonment and/or an unlimited
fine. If appropriate, destruction of the dog. A court can specify
muzzling or leashing, or disqualify the owners from custody of the
dog for any period.

While this is, of course, not the UK, I think it is amazing that
such a dog-loving country has recognized the need for such laws. I
would like to see Archuleta County take the lead in Colorado and
review/change their laws, as necessary, to make the ownership of all
dogs a responsibility that if not taken seriously will be adequately
punished.

Only then will we be able to walk/play in our neighborhoods
without fear, and enjoy the peace and quiet of our own properties
without the constant barking of neighbors' dogs.

Yours sincerely,

Patricia Waters

Community
News

Senior News

'Want' list reveals need for a
35mm slide projector

By Janet Copeland

SUN Columnist

NOTICE: The Silver Foxes Den Senior Center will be closed Jan. 20
for the Martin Luther King holiday.

A big Happy Birthday to Dawnie Silva who celebrated her birthday
Wednesday. She is getting close to catching up with us "seniors."

Erik Petersens of Warrenville, Ill., (nephew of Susi Cochran)
entertained us with violin music Wednesday. He is very talented and
we really enjoyed listening to him. Erik, we wish you the very best
in your future with music, and we hope you can play for us again when
you are in the area.

Thanks to Radio Shack for donating use of the movie "Walk to
Remember" for Friday. The second Friday of each month we offer a free
movie after lunch; please join us.

The Senior Center keeps a "want" list of things that would help us
provide better service or more comfort for our folks. This week we
are in need of a 35mm slide projector to be used in presentations
provided by guest speakers. If anyone has a good one they are willing
to donate, we would certainly appreciate it.

Everyone over age 55 please remember to renew your membership in
Archuleta Senior Citizens Inc. For the $3 fee you receive many
benefits, including a $10 deduction on the cost of using the medical
shuttle to Durango.

Many businesses in Pagosa offer senior discounts and this week we
wish to thank Ponderosa Do-It-Best for its participation. They offer
a 10-percent discount on most regularly-priced merchandise to folks
65 and over.

For seniors who are homebound, call Seth Crain at 731-4111 for
further information about delivery during the month of January.

The Colorado on the Move walking program kicked off Monday with
nearly 50 folks signing up. If you missed it, please contact Musetta
or Laura to get signed up.

We will be walking on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the
multipurpose room of the Community Center. We ran out of pedometers
but should receive more soon. As long as the supply lasts, pedometers
will be issued to those who sign up; if you continue the program for
three months, you may keep the pedometer. Thanks to Musetta, Laura
and all their helpers who made this program a possibility.

We are sad to hear that Paul Cronkhite has been ill. We had
planned to honor his wife, Muriel (our former dietician), with a
luncheon Wednesday but she wasn't available since she is caring for
Paul. We hope Paul recovers quickly and they can join us soon.

We are so happy to have Lena Bowden back with us. Lena helps so
much with our senior transportation and other activities; we miss her
when she is away. We appreciated Donna Modarelli filling in for Lena;
good job, Donna.

Our Volunteer of the Month is Marjorie Nevitt who has been
instrumental in keeping our library in order.

Congratulations to our Senior of the Week - Lois Portenier. She is
one of our newer members and we love having her join us.

I attended an out-of-town event recently along with a lot of
fellows that I've known for many years. Naturally when anyone is
around me, the subject of veterans will come up.

When I started talking about some of the great VA benefits for
veterans one of my friends suddenly remarked, "I'm not a veteran, I
wasn't in any wars. I just served my military duty."

Since my friend was near my age I realized what I took as common
knowledge about VA benefits was not shared by some veterans. There
are many myths out there about who is a veteran and who is eligible
for VA benefits, etc.

Let's dispel some myths.

Eligibility for most VA benefits is based upon discharge from
active military service under other than dishonorable conditions.
Active service means full-time service as a member of the Army, Navy,
Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and some other special agencies
of the United States as recognized by the Department of Veterans
Affairs. Members of a National Guard or reserve component called to
active duty by order of the President may also be eligible to receive
benefits.

Eligibility

Eligibility for VA benefits varies depending on the benefit. Some
benefits require wartime service. Many others, such as the VA Health
Care program, do not require wartime service. Length of active duty
service also affects eligibility. Disabilities incurred while in the
military affect VA benefit eligibility.

Honorable and general discharges qualify a veteran for most VA
benefits. Dishonorable and bad conduct discharges issued by general
courts-martial bar VA benefits. Veterans incarcerated may be eligible
for some VA benefits.

The VA recognizes these war periods: Mexican Border Period - May
9, 1916 through April 5, 1917; World War I - generally April 6, 1917
through Nov. 11, 1918 with some other circumstances; World War II -
Dec. 7, 1941 through Dec. 31, 1946; Korean War - June 27, 1950
through Jan. 31, 1955; Vietnam War - Aug. 5, 1964 through May 7,
1975; Gulf War - Aug. 2, 1990 through a date to be set by law (still
ongoing). The War on Terrorism has not been defined to date.

VA Health Care

Another Myth I often hear is: "I make too much money to get VA
Health Care benefits." I must have heard that a hundred times over
the past year. A person's income level, under current guidelines,
does not determine their eligibility for veteran's health care.
Income can determine if an enrollee will be required to pay co-pay
fees for their health care needs, but it is not a barrier to
enrollment.

About the only basic requirement for health care enrollment is
that a veteran be discharged under the earlier stated guidelines, and
served active duty in the military for other than military reserve
training purposes. A veteran qualifies for VAHC if they served as
little as one day prior to Sept. 7, 1980. After that date a veteran
must have served two years active duty to qualify for health care
benefits.

Many variables can affect eligibility for VA benefits, and this is
certainly only a very basic guide. I would urge any veterans to
contact me for more specific information.

For information on these and other veterans' benefits, call or
stop by the Veterans Service Office located on the lower floor of the
Archuleta County Courthouse. The office number is 264-2304, the fax
number is 264-5949, and e-mail is afautheree@archuletacounty.org. The
office is open from 8 to 4, Monday through Thursday, Friday by
appointment. Bring your DD Form 214 (Discharge) for registration with
the county, application for VA programs, and for filing in the VSO
office.

Chamber News

Cajun fare for Mardis
Gras

By Sally Hameister

This Saturday night marks our fourth Annual
Mardi Gras, and we hope to see each and every one of you.

The price of admission, $25, is the same as
last year and the year before, so clearly we've made every effort to
make this wonderful event as affordable as possible. It's not too
late to give us a call to get the "good price" as opposed to the $30
that you will pay at the door. Just drop in or give us a call to
reserve your spot at the Mardi Gras.

This year we are back at Pagosa Lodge
beginning at 6 p.m. with five rooms - four of which will feature
authentic Cajun fare in true New Orleans tradition. In the Bayou, you
will find jambalaya, crab cakes and fried catfish, and the French
Quarter will boast Cajun-spiced chicken strips and hush puppies.
Bourbon Street will offer a cash bar, pretzels and peanuts, and the
Red Hot Jazz Room will top off the food chain with pralines, beignets
and the ever-lovin' Mardi Gras must, a real-life King Cake.

Those of you who are familiar with our Mardi
Gras blast know that you can win a free year's membership in the
Chamber if you are lucky enough to find the baby in your piece of
King Cake. Dick Warring was the deserving winner last year and was
pleased as punch.

After you have visited all four food
stations, around 7:30, we will all head into the Ponderosa Room for
our meeting and awards presentations. Once again I will mention that
we are dedicated to making the meeting portion of the evening as
short and to-the-point as possible. We do have some new and different
awards in addition to Pagosa Pride, Volunteer and Citizen of the Year
awards, and I think you will find the recipients exceedingly
interesting and worthy. We're trying to incorporate the "more party,
less meeting" rule and will make every effort to do our thing in a
timely manner.

All who attend will receive complimentary
souvenir beads, masks and cups, and prizes will be awarded for the
best male and female costumes. Costumes are certainly not required,
but we love to see you arrive in costumes because it seems to make
the evening so much more festive.

This will also be your last opportunity to
vote for the three new board directors if you haven't already done
so. The SUN was good enough to publish the pictures and profiles of
the six candidates in the Jan. 2 edition, but we have plenty at the
Visitor Center if you need to refresh your memory. Please exercise
one of your most valuable Chamber benefits, that of voting for the
folks who comprise the governing body of our fine
organization.

Don't miss our annual celebration and the
opportunity to meet and greet all your fellow Chamber members, the
movers and shakers of Pagosa Springs.

Reader Board

An advertising space has just opened up on
the bulletin board located right outside the Visitor Center, and we
are offering that space on a first-come, first-served basis. It's a
dandy space and basically reaches the eyes of everyone who visits us,
even when our doors are closed. All you need to do is present us with
a check for $50 (for a full year) and an 8 x 11 colored photo or ad
or whatever it is you would like to advertise and the deed is done.

Colorado Sky

It always saddens us to say goodbye to a
Chamber member business and this time is no exception. April Owens,
owner of Colorado Sky, is closing her doors at the River Center after
five years in Pagosa, and invites you to take advantage of the
going-out-of-business sale currently in progress. April will be open
Wednesday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from
noon until 4 p.m.

April is grateful to all who have supported
her through the years and appreciates the wonderful friends she has
made here. She looks forward to seeing all her friends around town
and hopes they will come in to say goodbye to the store.

We thank April for her contribution to our
business community and wish her all the very best in her future
endeavors. Thanks, April, and don't be a stranger.

Fire Presentation

You are all invited to a very special
program sponsored by the Pagosa Springs Rotary Club and the Pagosa
Fire Protection District featuring a slide presentation of a
day-by-day account of the Missionary Ridge fires of last summer.

This visual diary shows the daily
progression of the fires and explains how and why the decisions were
made to extinguish and control the fires. The slide presentation was
created by the Durango Fire Rescue Authority and is narrated by
Durango Fire Chief Mike Dunaway.

I have seen this slide show and can testify
that it is a stunning, spectacular and emotional program that
features never-before-seen images of the event that changed the
course of the summer of 2002 in both Durango and Pagosa Springs.

The free presentation lasts approximately 80
minutes and will be held at the Pagosa Springs High School auditorium
Jan. 27, beginning at 7 p.m. I would suggest you arrive early to
secure a seat as I anticipate great interest in this program that so
vividly brings a better understanding to this devastating event in
our recent history.

AAA Encompass article

If you would care to take a peek at a very
nice feature article about Pagosa Springs, the January/February issue
of AAA Encompass Magazine offers delightful coverage on our little
Paradise for All Seasons.

Margo Ellis headed her piece, "Schussing and
Soaking in Pristine Pagosa" and had some mighty fine comments replete
with a map and information about other attractions in Pagosa. If you
can't find a copy of Encompass, drop by the Visitor Center and I will
be happy to share our copy. The Chamber also placed a gorgeous ad
created by Ken Harms on Page 3 of this magazine, and to quote Margo's
lead sentence in the Pagosa article, "location, location, location"
provides all of us great PR.

Photo contest

As always, the Pagosa Springs Arts Council
will hold its photography contest during the month of February.

This means all you shutterbugs out there
need to get cracking, since Jan. 29 is the deadline for entries and
that day is fast approaching. Each entry is only $4.

If you have never been to this show you are
really missing out. Each year Pagosa's local talent shows off at this
contest and the results are always stunning. Entries will be
displayed in Moonlight Books for the month of February for all to
see. If you like taking pictures, pick out one or two of your
favorites and get them into the show. Entry forms can be picked up at
Moonlight Books, Mountain Snapshots or the Pagosa Springs Arts
Council Gallery in Town Park.

Entrepreneurial training

The Fort Lewis Small Business Development
Center will offer a 12-week course entitled Nx Entrepreneurial
Training starting Jan. 22.

The class is targeted toward existing and
some start-up businesses that want to develop their business
management skills. The class will cover a variety of key business
management areas including business goals/mission statements, market
research, legal structures, customer profiles, understanding
financial statements, financial planning and much more. The final
course product needed to graduate will be a business plan for your
business.

Tuition for the class is $250. For more
information, a class schedule, or application contact Joe Keck at
247-7009 or sbdc@fortlewis.edu.

Membership

We're happy to bring you two new members
this week accompanied by eight renewals. Life is good.

Our first new member this week is actually a
group of folks who have combined their resources, time and talents to
form Main Street Antiques located at 438 B Pagosa St. right next to
Montoya's. Main Street Antiques offers a wonderful melange of
antiques and collectibles including but not limited to coins,
glassware, paintings, prints, orientalia, furniture, jewelry, quilts,
pottery, mirrors and so much more. They are proud to offer
investments you can live with right in downtown Pagosa. Hours are
Tuesday through Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday from 1-5. Please call
264-1100 to learn more about Main Street Antiques.

Our second new member is the Loma Linda
Homeowners Association with F. C. Trask Jr. as the contact. If you
have questions, please call 264-0140.

Renewals this week include Tony Gilbert with
Elk Meadows River Resort; Larry Fisher with the Ski and Bow Rack; Nan
and Gary Rowe with Oso Grande Ranch Outfitting and Oso Grande Ranch;
Nan Rowe with Rocky Mountain Reefs and Ponds of Pagosa; J.R. Ford
with Pagosa Land Company; Bud Short with Bud Short-Civil
Engineer/Land Surveyor; and Denny Rose, watercolor artist (or Carol
and Bill Fulenwider). Our associate member renewal this week is our
friend and Chamber Diplomat, Sara Scott. Many thanks to one and all.

Library News

Library donors aid building
fund

By Lenore Bright

Our building fund is growing thanks to the
generosity of the people in the following categories:

Larry and Lou Ann Waddell in memory of Dixie
and Gary Burkett's mothers

People

Congratulations to Brian
Clifford of Pagosa Springs and Crystal Crawford of Dove Creek who were married Dec. 26, 2002, with a
small holiday celebration following. A reception for friends and
family is planned later this summer.

Features

Getting a kick out of
self-defense

Class teaches women skills to
fend off attacker

By Tess Noel Baker

Staff Writer

"Hit me like you mean it, otherwise you have
victim written all over your forehead."

That said, the instructor positioned a large
red punching bag in front of him.

"No," the student said, standing before the
bag in a defensive posture, one hand ready to block, the other to
punch. With a roll of her hips, she kicked the bag, hitting it with a
resounding pop.

And they moved down the line, giving each
person in the class a chance to practice the kick before tackling the
next one.

A total of three people, two teenagers and
one adult woman, completed the self-defense class taught Friday and
Saturday at the Pagosa Springs Community Center.

Both the teens said they signed up to give
them an edge over the guys, especially as they prepared to leave home
for college.

"I'm here so I can knock the snot out of a
guy if he gets fresh with me," junior Roxanna Day said.

Allen, who's been teaching self-defense
courses for women for about 20 years, said it's the first time the
Rape, Aggression, Defense Systems, or RAD, classes have been taught
here. The difference, he said, is in the depth.

"This is a different way of doing things.
Most of my other classes lasted about three hours, this one lasts a
minimum of nine hours and is much more hands-on." It's also part of a
nationwide program. Anyone who passes one course can participate in
any other, for practice, for free. All they have to do is show up
with a signed manual.

The first several hours are spent in regular
classroom format. Each student, up to 15 to an instructor, receives a
manual.

To begin, the class covers the definitions
of sexual assault, consent, the law as it pertains to self-defense
and the four "risks" of personal safety.

According to the manual, awareness means
going beyond the myths of rape. These can include such statements as:
"Women are physically powerless against men;" "Women secretly want to
be raped;" "Only young, attractive women are raped;" or "Only women
with bad reputations are raped." In truth, anyone can be at
risk.

FBI studies showed as many as one out of
three women can expect to be sexually assaulted in their lifetime.
"In the United States one forcible rape occurs every seven minutes,"
according to the manual handed out at the training, "Each year about
90,000 forcible rapes are reported to the police. But it's estimated
that 90 percent of all rapes and attempted rapes are not reported at
all."

Because there are no guarantees, it's
important for women to take control of their own environment, this is
where risk reduction strategies are important.

For instance, windows should have locks and
the locks should be used. A peep hole or other device is suggested to
be able to see people who come to the door without opening it.

Personal safety tips are also listed for
dating, vehicle checks, parking and public transportation.

Another part of the formula is
self-confidence. It's important, Allen said, to make eye contact, to
walk and talk with self-confidence, all of which makes a person
appear less like a victim. "Little things like that make a big
difference," he said.

For instance, most cases of "date" rape
follow a certain pattern, Allen said. The rapist is usually familiar
to the victim. This "date" may take physical or conversational
liberties, they do not respect the wishes of the person they're with
and attempt to isolate the victim. Rapists also may attack subtly at
first, but escalate in intensity when resisted.

Someone who is constantly aware of their
environment, of the entrances and exits and of their comfort level
may be able to remove themselves from the situation before it
escalates into an attack.

However, in any circumstances, if a woman
says, "No," when it comes to sexual contact, any physical restraining
or attacking behavior after that point is rape aggression. And rape
is rape no matter what the setting.

If the situation does escalate to one of
potential physical danger, Allen said, it's important to continue to
focus, avoid panic and practice positive visualization.

"Remember, if your brain freezes, your
done," he said.

The training manual outlines ten basic
principles of defense: increase reaction time, obtain good balance,
develop a plan of action, use distraction techniques, identify his
vulnerable locations, use your personal weapons (including the head,
knee, elbow and foot,) avoid confronting force with force, avoid
panic, disengage and run and practice.

Allen used the example of being trapped in a
car as a way of getting the class to think about some basic defense
techniques.

Screaming, he said, might not help because
many people won't stop and look, won't want to get involved or take
it as a form of playfulness.

The first thing a victim of such an
abduction should probably do is figure out a way to stop the car, he
said. Speed is always a concern, so a person should take care when
thinking about grabbing the wheel on a highway.

However, he said, reaching over with one
foot and pressing the gas while at a stoplight so that the car
rear-ends the car in front might be a possibility. Others might be
able to feign sickness.

"How about losing your lunch right in the
seat next to you?" he said. "Anything to take his mind off what he
has in mind."

Those who aren't capable of physical defense
for whatever reason, should constantly scan for possible exit
opportunities, talk about themselves, "anything to show your a
person, too," and concentrate on taking a precise mental image of
their abductor.

From there, the class adjourned for the
night. The next morning, they arrived ready to get physical. After 15
minutes of stretching, the hands-on portion of the class began.
During the next few hours, the students learned the vulnerable areas
of the body and how to kick, punch and block their way out of a
dangerous situation.

The whole goal, repeated often, was to
"disengage and run."

Each of the students was encouraged to put
all of the force available into each maneuver. To think. To plan. To
twist out of holds. To avoid being trapped on the floor. To protect
their own vulnerable areas while exploiting the attacker's.

It started with a basic stance. Feet should
be shoulder-width apart and set at an angle. Arms are up and active.
One is bent out in front to block. The other is positioned just above
the waistline ready to attack.

"No," the students said. The first step. The
verbal defense. From there, they practiced blocking first and then
striking with elbows, feet, knees, head and hands.

At first there were a lot of smiles. Even
some giggling. Students were a little timid to put themselves out
there and really hit the practice bags.

"Hit me like you mean it," could be heard
often. And, "use your hips, that's where your power is."

As everyone took a turn with the instructor,
it got more serious. They kicked and punched until pops resounded in
the room. On solid kicks the punching bag would fly upward.

The "No's" became more serious, sounding
like a decision rather than a question.

There were no victims in the room that
day.

Allen plans to hold a second Rape Aggression
Defense Systems class Feb. 21 and 22. The course will run from 6
p.m.-10 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Cost is $5.
Meanwhile, he plans to work on finding funding for the "red man"
suit.

The "red man" suit is a protective outfit
complete with helmet and mask worn by the instructor for full-out
assault practice. The complete set also comes with protective gear
for the student. Allen said the cost is about $2,000. He is currently
looking into grant possibilities.

'Take the outside of the road,
my horses are not dependable'

By John M. Motter

PREVIEW Columnist

The 1916 opening of Wolf Creek Pass
connected the San Juan Basin with the rest of Colorado in a way never
known before.

Except for the narrow gauge railroad over
Cumbres Pass, prior to Wolf Creek Pass, often the only good means of
reaching Denver from the San Juan Basin was by first going south into
New Mexico. When the railroad was snowed in so trains couldn't cross
Cumbres, the San Juan Basin was literally shut in for weeks at a
time.

At first, Wolf Creek pass was only open for
a few short months during the summer. Even those few months were a
boon to tourist travel to Mesa Verde National Park and other points
of interest in the Basin.

Slowly, cars, buses and trucks replaced the
railroads as a means of moving people and freight into the basin.
Residents on both sides of Wolf Creek could hardly wait to get the
pass open.

That opening became a source of community
competition and pride. One crew, all community citizens mostly from
Pagosa Springs, started from the western end of the pass. A second
crew made up of citizens living in South Fork, Del Norte and Monte
Vista started from the eastern end. The race was on to see which crew
would be first to reach the top.

Finally, by the 1930s, the state assigned
crews and equipment to the pass full time. Their task was to keep the
pass open all winter. Even so, snowslides closed Wolf Creek for
serious lengths of time. Even as late as the 1970s, Wolf Creek was
closed for several days by snow slides. Modern avalanche control
methods make closure by slides improbable today, but not
impossible.

When contemplating Wolf Creek Pass, one must
bear in mind that today's version is a much refined improvement over
the original, narrow gravel road that snaked across the mountains.
Crossing Wolf Creek in a motor vehicle during 1916 was quite an
adventure as attested by the recollections of Myrtle Hersch, who was
a member of the first motorcade over the pass. This week we conclude
Myrtle's description of crossing the pass in 1916.

After camping several days on the east side
of the mountains, the motorcade has just begun to move, the first
crossing of Wolf Creek. Myrtle was aware that history was being made.
The date was July 26.

"As we were nearly a mile from our camp, on
the steepest pitch, with mud slick as soap, the Ford stopped. The
driver ran back to flag down the line of cars. We all walked down to
see if there might be a rock slide, a possibility.

"Here they had come face to face with a
wagon train, three big, loaded wagons, with several extra horses
leading behind each wagon, and quite a number of people in their
group.

"These people had been camping for three
weeks on Wolf Creek, at the west foot of the pass, also waiting to
cross. The engineer had told them to wait until he gave the
clearance, as five cars were on the way over, and it would be
impossible for either group to pass the other, excepting at certain
places.

"As the wagon train waited in its camp, the
head man's patience wore thin and 'if the pass was to be open on July
27 - By Gar - he'd take his right and go, let come what may.'

"Before leaving his camp, he laid in a
supply of Pagosa firewater and when he met our group he was all set
for battle. He got out of his wagon, buckled on his revolver and,
with unsteady steps and loud abusive language, ordered all cars to
back up some place where he could pass.

"'Take the outside of the road as my horses
are not dependable. I'm giving orders to be understood and followed
and I'm going through if I have to shoot the last ... to make way for
my wagons.'

"He was so angry and unsteady we could not
even guess what he might do. Finally, the men of our group told him
to shut up and get back into his wagon, until they could find a
workable plan, or they'd pitch him down into the canyon. He
sat.

"Then began the most terrifying experience
of backing inch-by-inch on that narrow slick, steep grade. David
always believed in going forward, so was not expert at backing -
especially under such conditions. Joseph's experience in the Cadillac
garage paid off. He showed real efficiency in this case. Finally, one
by one, we managed to pass each other.

"When we got down into the flat lowland,
there was no road at all, just mud and water soaked trails, each
driver making his own guess which set of workmen's' wagon tracks to
follow through the willows until he could connect with the next
section of ascending road up the mountainside.

"At Box Canyon we had to wait until fifteen
heavy dynamite blasts tore away a section of the rock, then all this
debris had to be cleared away before we could attempt to cross over.
At one place a steam drill stood against the rock wall, and we had to
drive round it on the point of broken rocks. The Cadillac was too
long to make the turn around the drill, so again Joseph had to
seesaw, inch-by-inch, to make the turn. Just as we got around, the
whole point slid off into the stream below.

"None of the other cars carried food, so
when we found a slightly dry spot under a spruce tree, the Hatchers
and we invited the group to eat with us, as we had an ample supply
from our camp. Every man had shoveled, pushed, lifted and worked his
best for everyone who needed help. We had showers all day long. There
seemed to be no bottom to the road with this rain on the new
construction.

"Again we began to climb, the road was
slick, or again so sticky, it took the five cars three hours to cover
only a quarter of a mile. Added to all these delays, the Chalmers and
Cadillac each had a flat tire. Now, night was coming on and we were
still two and one-half miles from Mr. Logan's work camp. The lighter
weight cars passed through the mud holes all right, and drove on
toward camp, but the heavier cars just sank.

"Marguerite and I walked the distance
through mud and rain to the road camp for help. Mr. Logan sent over
four big horses to assist, but they couldn't move the cars. When this
didn't work, Eugene Hatcher backed their Velie from camp carrying
heavy log chains. With the horses and chains, the cars were pulled
out.

"The high altitude and the excitement of the
day, besides the wet and cold, was more than I could take. The cook
and his buddy moved their beds into the dining tent, and fixed a
place for me to lie down and rest. My family didn't get to camp until
8 p.m. I was too tired to eat, and didn't get warm all night.

"When morning came, I still couldn't eat,
but the sun came out and we were ready to make a fresh start. Mr.
Logan sent his crew ahead early to fill a one hundred foot bog with
spruce boughs. Still, every car had to be pulled through. We still
had tough going to the top of the pass, which is over ten thousand
feet high. We were told that our troubles were all over, as it was a
down grade, and work done the previous fall was well packed by
highway equipment.

"We were all in good spirits, for we knew no
one would meet us toady. Each car took its own pace coming down, not
too close because of the sharp curves - Joseph and I still following
at ten miles an hour, and in low gear. We came to a section of the
road which was supported by a built up rock wall, and noticed that
the tracks of the cars ahead were only four or five inches from the
rocks, but it looked safe enough when CRASH! That entire wall gave
way and let the left side of our car down and hanging in mid air .

"Only a very small rock below our left front
wheel kept us from going down. As we carefully slipped out on the
upper side, the car teetered as if it were on its way down. Only a
miracle caused it to hold, for it seemed that a puff of wind could
set it off.

"We stood and looked - all the cars had gone
ahead, and we were alone with miles to any work camp. We knew that my
husband would stop soon, if Marguerite didn't see us coming behind
them. After about fifteen or twenty minutes a wagon with two men and
carrying heavy cables and a bicycle came along. The men tied the car
to the trees on the upper side with ropes. One man rode the wheel
down two miles where he met David walking back with some of the work
crew. The men cut down several small trees and built cribbing which
they filled with rocks. They then jacked the car up little by little,
built again, until it was in a near level position. Six men held the
cables while David drove onto solid ground.

"While they were working, I carried drinking
water in a pint cup from the creek below up that bank for the men,
for now it was midday in a July sun. It was forty feet to the nearest
tree to stop the car's rolling, had it gone down.

"When the task was nearly completed, I took
photographs, then the three of us went on down the two miles, where
Marguerite sat waiting all these hours alone - not knowing what had
happened to any of us.

"As my family was reunited and no one was
hurt, I began to weaken, and became so shaky I couldn't stop
trembling. Kept growing weaker and more frightened as the miles
passed until we were within two miles of Pagosa Springs and home. I
did as some other women in the past have done - fainted.

"At the Todd ranch, they stretched me out on
the grass beside the highway, and with water and spirits of ammonia,
I was soon revived. I have heard of people being scared to death.
This was the next thing to it.

"Even with such experiences, I love our Wolf
Creek pass, with its forty-seven years of memories and happy
associations."

Editorial

A good start

A new county commission went to work Tuesday
after Mamie Lynch was sworn in by District Court Judge Greg Lyman.
The commission has a new chairman, Alden Ecker, a new vice-chairman
in Lynch. Commissioner Bill Downey remains on the board.

At the new commission's first meeting, a
cooperative move designed to coiunter the growing problem of animal
control in the unincorporated parts of the coiunty was made, much to
the credit of all involved.

Archuleta County and the pagosa Lakes
property owners Association developed a plan fora second animal
control officer, under the auspices of the county and the sheriff's
department and funded by the association. That officer will work
primarily in the pagosa lakes subdivisions with his or her duties
overlapping those of an officer hired by the conty in
December.

This one positive move on the part of the
commissioners will, with luck, be followed by more.

Perhaps one of the first thing the new
commissione will do is divest itself of the so-called "liaison" style
of government, in which a single commissioner is glued to a
particular department. There is no clear indication this style has
led to anything but micromanagement and the creation of obstacles to
effective operation of county departments.

With the budget picture - in particular as
it pertains to state monies - growing dimmer by the day, the need for
cooperative action is paramount. The county and other entitiees in
the area - most notably the town of pagosa springs - have established
a record of cooperation that can be built upon.

There are at least two cooperative matters
with the town that ned immediate attention. First is renegotiation of
the agreement between town and county on how sales tax funds are to
be spent. The agreement between the entities technically expired Jan.
1. The agreemen should be formally established in order to protect
joint projectss for road construction and to set long-term project
priorities.

Second is the need to deal with the
agreement between county and town regarding municipal use of the
Archuleta county Jail facility. Considering the facility is often
crowded, this agreement has long-term ramifications for both
parties.

Another of the things the new commission
could do is divest itself of the so-called "liaison" style of
government, in which a single commissioner is glued to a particular
department - a dubious attachment if effective departmental
management is in place. There is no clear indication this style has
led to any progress, and many would argue it has created obstacles to
the effective operation of some county departments.

With some prodding, perhaps this commission
will move ahead to deal with issues many residents have deemed
important to them and the future of the county. There are road
projects that can be engineered and planned from a reasonable
distance, and funds to be bettter spent. There is a Community Plan
still not completely implemented with the creation of regulations.
This commission should move forward to provide an answer to the
demand for land use planning and zoning - whatever that answer will
be.

This list is all too short and, no doubt,
there are those in and out of government who will add more items to
the agenda, and be better informed about them than this writer. No
doubt, these commissioners will hear them.

Good luck to the commissioners; they are off
to a good start. Let's encourage them to maintain their
momentum.

Karl Isberg

Pacing
Pagosa

First paycheck's always
largest

By Richard Walter

For many people, the next paycheck's date
has become a matter of conjecture.

Unemployed or unemployable persons aren't
sure when or where the next source of income might be.

In the old days it wasn't unusual for a
herder or ranch laborer to be paid just once or twice a year.

When the crop came in or the herd was back
in camp and sold, the salary would be delivered and the worker would
go about catching up all the bills, and the purchases on credit
allowed at the general store which knew he was good for it -
eventually.

No I don't go back quite that far, but I can
recall my first major paycheck.

I worked the full summer vacation from
school as a chainman on a survey crew running a new course line for
the Ute Irrigation Canal from north of Bayfield through the Missouri
Center area to Ignacio.

Day after day, we measured (chained) the
line of survey, dropping stakes every 100 feet to be driven into the
ground by a following team to mark the line exactly.

Three months they said the job would take.
We finished in a week less.

And the following day there was a knock at
the door. A representative of the Department of Indian Affairs was
there with a check. My first real paycheck - a whopping $150 - and it
looked like all the money in the world to me.

Of course, like other youngsters of the day,
I'd done lawn mowing and wood chopping and odd jobs for pittances so
I could save money for a fancy new bicycle.

But, $150 was more money than I'd ever seen
at one time in my own hands.

Sometimes, it seems, there are those who
would turn up their noses at a paycheck because it doesn't fully meet
their needs or self-inflated value.

They'd rather live on the dole, letting you
and I and Uncle Sam support them, than lower themselves to accept a
wage inconsistent with their estimated self-worth.

I am by no means denigrating the efforts of
those who truly want to work, to find jobs. Nor am I saying the jobs
available will pay a comfortable living wage.

I am convinced, however, that there are jobs
- often paying below the regular employment level the worker is
accustomed to - that will at least help them get over the hump.

It means lowering standards, giving up the
extra pack of cigarettes and the six-pack of beer. It means looking
at what is within the realm of reality at the moment, not what was or
is to be at some future better time.

My mother struggled to put me through
college some 50 years ago on a postal clerk's salary. Then, Uncle Sam
came along with a regular monthly military paycheck and training for
a career.

When it came time to go out in the world of
reality. I was offered a job at a small daily newspaper in Worland,
Wyo., at $42.50 per week.

With a wife, young son, and no promise of
moving expenses from Illinois, I couldn't see how making the move
would make ends meet.

With luck, I found a job that paid more and
promised security. For 38 years plus, it lived up to that promise.

But that first $150 check is still the
biggest.

Legacies

90 years ago

Taken from Pagosa Springs New Era files of Jan. 17, 1913

Rocky Farrow recently bought the Woodruff Cooper ranch on the
Piedra, which formerly belonged to John Peterson, and is one of the
fine ranches of that section.

D.R. Archuleta has purchased the George Scase interest in the
Happy Land Theatre and will move the show into the Archuleta
building.

John Kyle has leased the Archuleta well drilling outfit now at
Edith and will bring it up here and put down a well on his place.

75 years ago

Taken from SUN files of Jan. 20, 1928

The San Juan National Forest in the year 1927 earned a total of
$9,103.64, which was exceeded by only one other forest in the state.
The revenue may be used for schools and roads in the counties in
which the forests are located.

Beavers in recent months have caused the loss of two valuable
steers belonging to W.H. Hurt of Dyke. Mr. Hurt reports that the
animals in both cases fell through crusts of earth under which the
beavers had burrowed. Property owners who have suffered damage from
beavers feel they should be allowed to kill the beavers without
having to go through a lot of governmental red tape.

Another excellent Jitney dance was held at the Carlsbad Lodge on
Wednesday.

50 years ago

Taken from SUN files of Jan. 16, 1953

The County Commissioners met on Tuesday of this week to terminate
their business for 1952 and to swear in new members. The last
official act of the old board was to buy a new maintainer-grader out
of the 1952 funds.

The weather the past week was typical of that in a January thaw
with warm days and chilly nights. The threatened cold snap last week
did not materialize and the thermometer rose to comfortable highs
each day.

The Pirate's View. Published every two weeks by the Pagosa Springs
High School - due to the absence of Richard Walter, our editor, an
assistant editor is taking his place for the time being. Richard was
takin ill during the Christmas vacation. (He's back in school now.)

25 years ago

Taken from SUN files of Jan. 12, 1978

A real winter snowstorm hit this area the first of the week and is
continuing late Wednesday. The storm left four inches of new snow,
which had a high moisture content. It caused some snowy roads, a few
minor fender benders but was received with welcome by winter sports
enthusiasts and water users.

The town board adopted a resolution agreeing to a mutual aid
compact with the fire department at Pagosa. The two departments will
cooperate wherever possible, and will assist when needed and possible
with equipment and men.

Snowfall on Wolf Creek Pass is starting to get a little more like
normal this past week. A total of 48 inches had fallen there the past
few days.